After blogging about Kids Music Grownups Can Enjoy, I started thinking- there's a whole lot of music that adults can easily share with kids.  Generally, unless you're listening to 50 Cent or Marilyn Manson, most grownup music is ripe to be shared with young listeners.  If not for my mom, I may never have discovered Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, or Billie Holiday.

Here are some recording artists and albums that work well for babies, grownups, and everybody in-between:

For the Jazz fan:

	If you like Ella, also check out Lambert, Hendricks and Ross.  Their fast, fun version of Cottontail (listen here) is perfect as a lead-in to a story like Peter Rabbit. Some kids may also want to try their hand at scat singing!
Ella Fitzgerald
The Best of the Song Books

	You might recognize Blossom's sweet, melodic voice from her work on SchoolHouse Rock  (She did both Unpack Your Adjectives and Figure 8.)  Little Jazz Bird and Surrey With the Fringe On Top are well suited for little listeners and jazz birds alike.
Blossom Dearie
Blossom Dearie

Jazz is a great way to introduce kids to the unique sounds of different instruments.  For a fun jump around, dance session, also try Squirrel Nut Zippers or Louis Prima.

 For the Bossanova Baby:

		Gilberto's signature style- a whispery voice and unaccompanied guitar make all of his Brazilian offerings perfect for soothing a baby at bedtime.
Joao Gilberto	Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto
Best of Joao Gilberto	Getz/Gilberto

For the Alterna-Rock and Folksy Parents:

	Johnson's Banana Pancakes is a fun choice for a weekend morning family sing-along.
Jack Johnson
In Between Dreams

	You might remember Drake's Pink Moon from that popular Volkswagen commercial.  His soft vocals are lullaby-like and very soothing.
Nick Drake
Pink Moon

The above selections are just a handful of my own favorites. 

What types of music to you enjoy sharing with your children? 

Rhyming books...they're fun to read aloud because they read like songs.  In storytime they are some of the most silliest and entertaining reads; my favorites!  I can do all kinds of activities that extend right from the book, making the books interactive.  

Click on the rhyming tag in the catalog to find some rhyming books for toddlers and preschoolers.  Of course, many more books are out there.  So if you come across one of your favorite rhyming books, tag it in the catalog, and it will totally be added!

Rhyming books also help with phonological awareness and sensitivity; the ability to hear the breakdown of sounds within words.  Being aware of phonemes as a small child, will help them when they are older and begin to read -- when they need to sound out words for themselves.  The Every Child Ready to Read site has lots of ways we can interact with kids regarding phonological awareness, as well as other emergent literacy skills for babies, toddlers, and pre-readers.  Check it out (hee hee, dorky librarian joke)! 

Some fun phological awareness activities:

• having kids complete the rhyme by leaving off the last part of the sentence.
• rhyming games such as, this story was about boats...how many other things rhyme with boats. 
• In storytime, once we've thought of a bunch of words rhyming with boat, I make up a song about it, which turns the room into a giggle fest!  A coat was on a boat, it ran there to get away from that goat that had tried to get past the moat.  That's when maybe a question will come up what a moat is, which gets us talking vocabulary.  It's always fun! 
• jump and move around to the rhyming parts in a nursery rhyme or song.  In storytime, if we do "hey diddle diddle" we jump on diddle, and fiddle, etc. and then freeze during the non-rhyming parts.

These are great snuggly rhymes & songs that end with you giving your baby and sweet smooch, tickle or his favorite - peek-a-boo!

Come-a-Look-a-See

(work your way across your baby's hand like This Little Piggy wiggling each of them one at a time)
Come-a-Look-a-See,
Here’s my momma
Come-a-Look-a-See,
Here’s my poppa
Come-a-Look-a-See,
Brother tall - Sister, Baby,
I love them all
(wrap your hands around baby’s, kiss thumbs and open up hands wide)

This Little Baby
This little baby rocked in the cradle (start with baby’s thumb)
This little baby jumped in bed (move across hand one finger at a time)
This little baby crawled on the carpet
This little baby bumped his/her head
And this little baby played hide and seek
Where’s the little baby? (hide yours or the baby’s eyes)
PEEK!

These are Baby’s Fingers
These are baby’s fingers (wiggle fingers)
These are baby’s toes (wiggle toes)
This is baby’s belly button
Round and round it goes! (tickle baby’s tummy)

 

Pizza Pizza Pumpernickel
Pizza pizza pumpernickel (clap hands or bounce)
My little one shall have a tickle
One for his/her nose (tickle nose)
One for his/her toes (tickle toes)
One for his/her belly where the hot-dog goes! (tickle belly)

Away up High
Away up high in the apple tree (lift baby up)
I saw a little baby smiling at me.
I shook that tree as hard as I could (shake baby gently)
Down came the baby (bring baby down into a hug)
Mmm, was she good! (give baby a kiss)

Great A, Little a
Great A, little a (clap baby’s hands)
Bouncing B,
The cat’s in the cupboard
But she can’t see me! (hide yours or baby’s eyes)
PEEK-a-Boo!

Round and Round the Garden
Round and round the garden went the teddy bear (walk fingers on baby’s palm)
One step, two steps (jump fingers up arm)
Tickly under there (tickle under arm)